Tories should say sorry to Scargill

IN VIEW of papers released under the 30-year rule that vindicate Arthur Scargill and show the Thatcher regime up for the liars they were, shouldn’t Mr Scargill receive an apology from David Cameron for the Tory brutality against miners and their families who were merely attempting to safeguard their livlihoods?

Mr Scargill claimed 70 pits were to close with the loss of thousands of jobs. This was categorically denied by NCB chairman Sir Ian MacGregor. Yet the documents clearly show MacGregor lied to the nation as they in fact intended to close 75 pits with the loss of 55,000 mining jobs.

Mrs Thatcher was even prepared to use the Army in her war against the working class and her destruction of mining communities.

Mr Scargill correctly stated the Tories would destroy 100,000 miners jobs and the finest deep-mine coal in the world would be replaced with subsidised coal from Asia and elsewhere.

We suffer to this day with expensive energy bills and dwindling disposable income.

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Thatcherism endures as millions of young and old alike are assailed by policies of greed and cruelty from our political class who seem hell-bent on turning social progress backwards.

Tom Scaife, Manor Drive, York.

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Comments (19)

Thatcher's lies about her intentions for Britain's coalfields are the least of it, there was worse than that. An alleged MI5 agent called Roger Windsor who had penetrated the NUM executive, made slanderous allegations that Scargill had received funds from Libya and had stolen miner's money to repay his own mortgage. The lies were carried by the Mirror ( to his credit the editor subsequently apologised). Windsor was later proved (in a French court) to be a liar and a slanderer. The truth was never never reported in the British press, except for one article (you'll need to reassemble the link below). Moreover there were 90 bogus and politically motivated arrests of miners at Orgreave. Evere single one of them was found not guilty because the court believed they had been fitted up. After all, they were Thatcher's "enemy within" so why not try to imprison them, even if it does require a bit of perjury. And the Tories wonder why they are called the Nasty Party http://www.theguardi an.com/media/2002/ma y/27/mondaymediasect ion.politicsandtheme dia

Thatcher's lies about her intentions for Britain's coalfields are the least of it, there was worse than that.
An alleged MI5 agent called Roger Windsor who had penetrated the NUM executive, made slanderous allegations that Scargill had received funds from Libya and had stolen miner's money to repay his own mortgage. The lies were carried by the Mirror ( to his credit the editor subsequently apologised). Windsor was later proved (in a French court) to be a liar and a slanderer. The truth was never never reported in the British press, except for one article (you'll need to reassemble the link below).
Moreover there were 90 bogus and politically motivated arrests of miners at Orgreave. Evere single one of them was found not guilty because the court believed they had been fitted up. After all, they were Thatcher's "enemy within" so why not try to imprison them, even if it does require a bit of perjury.
And the Tories wonder why they are called the Nasty Party
http://www.theguardi
an.com/media/2002/ma
y/27/mondaymediasect
ion.politicsandtheme
diaJonthan

Thatcher's lies about her intentions for Britain's coalfields are the least of it, there was worse than that. An alleged MI5 agent called Roger Windsor who had penetrated the NUM executive, made slanderous allegations that Scargill had received funds from Libya and had stolen miner's money to repay his own mortgage. The lies were carried by the Mirror ( to his credit the editor subsequently apologised). Windsor was later proved (in a French court) to be a liar and a slanderer. The truth was never never reported in the British press, except for one article (you'll need to reassemble the link below). Moreover there were 90 bogus and politically motivated arrests of miners at Orgreave. Evere single one of them was found not guilty because the court believed they had been fitted up. After all, they were Thatcher's "enemy within" so why not try to imprison them, even if it does require a bit of perjury. And the Tories wonder why they are called the Nasty Party http://www.theguardi an.com/media/2002/ma y/27/mondaymediasect ion.politicsandtheme dia

Score: 12

sounds weird but says...12:40pm Tue 7 Jan 14

Yes it is about time but do you think the apology will happen? Just look at the Hillsborough situation..

Yes it is about time but do you think the apology will happen?
Just look at the Hillsborough situation..sounds weird but

Yes it is about time but do you think the apology will happen? Just look at the Hillsborough situation..

Score: 4

CaroleBaines says...1:29pm Tue 7 Jan 14

Politicians lying - whatever next? They all do it and we keep voting for the same olds, more fool us.

Politicians lying - whatever next? They all do it and we keep voting for the same olds, more fool us.CaroleBaines

Politicians lying - whatever next? They all do it and we keep voting for the same olds, more fool us.

Score: 15

George Appleby says...1:55pm Tue 7 Jan 14

Vote for Cameron, Pickles and the tories and those who live on us and the fat of the land will get fatter and fuller, while we get thinner and hungrier. Osborne has promised and that's what we will get. Our purses will get emptier while theirs get fatter. THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY OUT FOR US! VOTE, BUT NOT FOR THEM OR THEIR ALLIES, the libdems. ANYBODY ELSE!!!!!

Vote for Cameron, Pickles and the tories and those who live on us and the fat of the land will get fatter and fuller, while we get thinner and hungrier. Osborne has promised and that's what we will get. Our purses will get emptier while theirs get fatter. THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY OUT FOR US!
VOTE, BUT NOT FOR THEM OR THEIR ALLIES, the libdems.
ANYBODY ELSE!!!!!George Appleby

Vote for Cameron, Pickles and the tories and those who live on us and the fat of the land will get fatter and fuller, while we get thinner and hungrier. Osborne has promised and that's what we will get. Our purses will get emptier while theirs get fatter. THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY OUT FOR US! VOTE, BUT NOT FOR THEM OR THEIR ALLIES, the libdems. ANYBODY ELSE!!!!!

Score: 0

Pinza-C55 says...4:09pm Tue 7 Jan 14

George Appleby wrote…

Vote for Cameron, Pickles and the tories and those who live on us and the fat of the land will get fatter and fuller, while we get thinner and hungrier. Osborne has promised and that's what we will get. Our purses will get emptier while theirs get fatter. THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY OUT FOR US! VOTE, BUT NOT FOR THEM OR THEIR ALLIES, the libdems. ANYBODY ELSE!!!!!

We have an estimated 100+ years worth of coal buried in flooded, concrete capped mines and the skilled workforce who used to dig it are mainly too old to do so. Even if we could reopen the mines, the "Green Movement" would have a fit about us burning that deadly substance Coal.But there's a lovely irony in the fact that Thatcher wanted to stop the NUM receiving money from Russia. About 64% of our coal is imported into the country in gas guzzling ships and more than a third of that is from......Russia.

[quote][p][bold]George Appleby[/bold] wrote:
Vote for Cameron, Pickles and the tories and those who live on us and the fat of the land will get fatter and fuller, while we get thinner and hungrier. Osborne has promised and that's what we will get. Our purses will get emptier while theirs get fatter. THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY OUT FOR US!
VOTE, BUT NOT FOR THEM OR THEIR ALLIES, the libdems.
ANYBODY ELSE!!!!![/p][/quote]We have an estimated 100+ years worth of coal buried in flooded, concrete capped mines and the skilled workforce who used to dig it are mainly too old to do so. Even if we could reopen the mines, the "Green Movement" would have a fit about us burning that deadly substance Coal.But there's a lovely irony in the fact that Thatcher wanted to stop the NUM receiving money from Russia.
About 64% of our coal is imported into the country in gas guzzling ships and more than a third of that is from......Russia.Pinza-C55

George Appleby wrote…

Vote for Cameron, Pickles and the tories and those who live on us and the fat of the land will get fatter and fuller, while we get thinner and hungrier. Osborne has promised and that's what we will get. Our purses will get emptier while theirs get fatter. THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY OUT FOR US! VOTE, BUT NOT FOR THEM OR THEIR ALLIES, the libdems. ANYBODY ELSE!!!!!

We have an estimated 100+ years worth of coal buried in flooded, concrete capped mines and the skilled workforce who used to dig it are mainly too old to do so. Even if we could reopen the mines, the "Green Movement" would have a fit about us burning that deadly substance Coal.But there's a lovely irony in the fact that Thatcher wanted to stop the NUM receiving money from Russia. About 64% of our coal is imported into the country in gas guzzling ships and more than a third of that is from......Russia.

Score: 19

Jonthan says...5:51pm Tue 7 Jan 14

Pinza-C55 wrote…

George Appleby wrote…

Vote for Cameron, Pickles and the tories and those who live on us and the fat of the land will get fatter and fuller, while we get thinner and hungrier. Osborne has promised and that's what we will get. Our purses will get emptier while theirs get fatter. THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY OUT FOR US! VOTE, BUT NOT FOR THEM OR THEIR ALLIES, the libdems. ANYBODY ELSE!!!!!

We have an estimated 100+ years worth of coal buried in flooded, concrete capped mines and the skilled workforce who used to dig it are mainly too old to do so. Even if we could reopen the mines, the "Green Movement" would have a fit about us burning that deadly substance Coal.But there's a lovely irony in the fact that Thatcher wanted to stop the NUM receiving money from Russia. About 64% of our coal is imported into the country in gas guzzling ships and more than a third of that is from......Russia.

Some confusion in the last two sentences, or perhaps I am missing the point. The Miners strike was during the period of the old Soviet Union, whereas the Russian coal currently imported if from the Oligarchs. Pinza please explain what you are getting at.

[quote][p][bold]Pinza-C55[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]George Appleby[/bold] wrote:
Vote for Cameron, Pickles and the tories and those who live on us and the fat of the land will get fatter and fuller, while we get thinner and hungrier. Osborne has promised and that's what we will get. Our purses will get emptier while theirs get fatter. THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY OUT FOR US!
VOTE, BUT NOT FOR THEM OR THEIR ALLIES, the libdems.
ANYBODY ELSE!!!!![/p][/quote]We have an estimated 100+ years worth of coal buried in flooded, concrete capped mines and the skilled workforce who used to dig it are mainly too old to do so. Even if we could reopen the mines, the "Green Movement" would have a fit about us burning that deadly substance Coal.But there's a lovely irony in the fact that Thatcher wanted to stop the NUM receiving money from Russia.
About 64% of our coal is imported into the country in gas guzzling ships and more than a third of that is from......Russia.[/p][/quote]Some confusion in the last two sentences, or perhaps I am missing the point.
The Miners strike was during the period of the old Soviet Union, whereas the Russian coal currently imported if from the Oligarchs.
Pinza please explain what you are getting at.Jonthan

Pinza-C55 wrote…

George Appleby wrote…

Vote for Cameron, Pickles and the tories and those who live on us and the fat of the land will get fatter and fuller, while we get thinner and hungrier. Osborne has promised and that's what we will get. Our purses will get emptier while theirs get fatter. THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY OUT FOR US! VOTE, BUT NOT FOR THEM OR THEIR ALLIES, the libdems. ANYBODY ELSE!!!!!

We have an estimated 100+ years worth of coal buried in flooded, concrete capped mines and the skilled workforce who used to dig it are mainly too old to do so. Even if we could reopen the mines, the "Green Movement" would have a fit about us burning that deadly substance Coal.But there's a lovely irony in the fact that Thatcher wanted to stop the NUM receiving money from Russia. About 64% of our coal is imported into the country in gas guzzling ships and more than a third of that is from......Russia.

Some confusion in the last two sentences, or perhaps I am missing the point. The Miners strike was during the period of the old Soviet Union, whereas the Russian coal currently imported if from the Oligarchs. Pinza please explain what you are getting at.

Score: 2

strensall red says...6:35pm Tue 7 Jan 14

Is everyone forgetting the constant power cuts and the three day week and the fact the unions tried to bring the country to its knees, scargill wasn't all he was cracked up to be.

Is everyone forgetting the constant power cuts and the three day week and the fact the unions tried to bring the country to its knees, scargill wasn't all he was cracked up to be.strensall red

Is everyone forgetting the constant power cuts and the three day week and the fact the unions tried to bring the country to its knees, scargill wasn't all he was cracked up to be.

Score: 18

tommytman says...6:50pm Tue 7 Jan 14

why would the tories say sorry to scargill , the job thatcher started to take us back to victorian times is not complete although cameron and co are trying thier best, todays tories do not have use the police and the army to the extent they did in the past the bankers and greedy big business men are pushing the working class back to a time when you had to doff your cap to your boss, thatchers legacy is still a strong as ever one more term in office may just see her dreams come true a nation with no society no NHS no unions and no hope

why would the tories say sorry to scargill , the job thatcher started to take us back to victorian times is not complete although cameron and co are trying thier best, todays tories do not have use the police and the army to the extent they did in the past the bankers and greedy big business men are pushing the working class back to a time when you had to doff your cap to your boss, thatchers legacy is still a strong as ever one more term in office may just see her dreams come true a nation with no society no NHS no unions and no hopetommytman

why would the tories say sorry to scargill , the job thatcher started to take us back to victorian times is not complete although cameron and co are trying thier best, todays tories do not have use the police and the army to the extent they did in the past the bankers and greedy big business men are pushing the working class back to a time when you had to doff your cap to your boss, thatchers legacy is still a strong as ever one more term in office may just see her dreams come true a nation with no society no NHS no unions and no hope

Score: 12

Pinza-C55 says...7:27pm Tue 7 Jan 14

strensall red wrote…

Is everyone forgetting the constant power cuts and the three day week and the fact the unions tried to bring the country to its knees, scargill wasn't all he was cracked up to be.

No, I remember the 3 day week. I also remember that in those far off days we (the UK) had a manufacturing base but now we have none - we have a "service economy" where we sell cups of coffee and pizza to each other. Our energy industry is owned by foreign corporations and we import our fuel. If that was Thatchers aim she achieved it im spades.

[quote][p][bold]strensall red[/bold] wrote:
Is everyone forgetting the constant power cuts and the three day week and the fact the unions tried to bring the country to its knees, scargill wasn't all he was cracked up to be.[/p][/quote]No, I remember the 3 day week. I also remember that in those far off days we (the UK) had a manufacturing base but now we have none - we have a "service economy" where we sell cups of coffee and pizza to each other. Our energy industry is owned by foreign corporations and we import our fuel. If that was Thatchers aim she achieved it im spades.Pinza-C55

strensall red wrote…

Is everyone forgetting the constant power cuts and the three day week and the fact the unions tried to bring the country to its knees, scargill wasn't all he was cracked up to be.

No, I remember the 3 day week. I also remember that in those far off days we (the UK) had a manufacturing base but now we have none - we have a "service economy" where we sell cups of coffee and pizza to each other. Our energy industry is owned by foreign corporations and we import our fuel. If that was Thatchers aim she achieved it im spades.

Score: 24

mjgyork says...7:33pm Tue 7 Jan 14

strensall red wrote…

Is everyone forgetting the constant power cuts and the three day week and the fact the unions tried to bring the country to its knees, scargill wasn't all he was cracked up to be.

I do remember the power cuts. Something needed to be done to resolve the obvious schisms that I saw when I came back from serving aroad. Destroying everything and handing the country to Bankers was not it. As we have learnt to our cost of late. Her most famous quote that : "Society does not exist..." she stole from Robert Nozic, an 'anarchist' philosopher from Harvard. As with everytging, she completely misunderstood the nature of his statement. Scarcgill might not have been 'right', but he was correct. Look around you for proof!

[quote][p][bold]strensall red[/bold] wrote:
Is everyone forgetting the constant power cuts and the three day week and the fact the unions tried to bring the country to its knees, scargill wasn't all he was cracked up to be.[/p][/quote]I do remember the power cuts. Something needed to be done to resolve the obvious schisms that I saw when I came back from serving aroad. Destroying everything and handing the country to Bankers was not it. As we have learnt to our cost of late. Her most famous quote that : "Society does not exist..." she stole from Robert Nozic, an 'anarchist' philosopher from Harvard. As with everytging, she completely misunderstood the nature of his statement. Scarcgill might not have been 'right', but he was correct. Look around you for proof!mjgyork

strensall red wrote…

Is everyone forgetting the constant power cuts and the three day week and the fact the unions tried to bring the country to its knees, scargill wasn't all he was cracked up to be.

I do remember the power cuts. Something needed to be done to resolve the obvious schisms that I saw when I came back from serving aroad. Destroying everything and handing the country to Bankers was not it. As we have learnt to our cost of late. Her most famous quote that : "Society does not exist..." she stole from Robert Nozic, an 'anarchist' philosopher from Harvard. As with everytging, she completely misunderstood the nature of his statement. Scarcgill might not have been 'right', but he was correct. Look around you for proof!

Score: 1

Pinza-C55 says...8:16pm Tue 7 Jan 14

I had a "heated discussion" about this in a pub several months ago and one chap said that the miners "held the country to ransom" in 1973. Nice idea but in fact what happened was that Ted Heath threw a tantrum and went to the ballot box on the slogan "Who governs Britain?". Sadly for Ted the electorate decided that it wasn't him and we got a Labour government with Harold Wilson in charge.

I had a "heated discussion" about this in a pub several months ago and one chap said that the miners "held the country to ransom" in 1973.
Nice idea but in fact what happened was that Ted Heath threw a tantrum and went to the ballot box on the slogan "Who governs Britain?".
Sadly for Ted the electorate decided that it wasn't him and we got a Labour government with Harold Wilson in charge.Pinza-C55

I had a "heated discussion" about this in a pub several months ago and one chap said that the miners "held the country to ransom" in 1973. Nice idea but in fact what happened was that Ted Heath threw a tantrum and went to the ballot box on the slogan "Who governs Britain?". Sadly for Ted the electorate decided that it wasn't him and we got a Labour government with Harold Wilson in charge.

Score: 24

mjgyork says...8:37pm Tue 7 Jan 14

It is almost impossible to have a discussion about the 'Hatchet Woman' without it being heated. Eventually of course, even the Tories realised how devisive she was and got rid of her, But not before their paymasters had creamed off the heart of Britain. So what has changed in the meantime? Her hero was Churchill. He DID send troops to fire on strikers in Wales. Most working class (including my family) , prior to the war, hated him. She will always be hated. And rightly so.

It is almost impossible to have a discussion about the 'Hatchet Woman' without it being heated. Eventually of course, even the Tories realised how devisive she was and got rid of her, But not before their paymasters had creamed off the heart of Britain. So what has changed in the meantime? Her hero was Churchill. He DID send troops to fire on strikers in Wales. Most working class (including my family) , prior to the war, hated him. She will always be hated. And rightly so.mjgyork

It is almost impossible to have a discussion about the 'Hatchet Woman' without it being heated. Eventually of course, even the Tories realised how devisive she was and got rid of her, But not before their paymasters had creamed off the heart of Britain. So what has changed in the meantime? Her hero was Churchill. He DID send troops to fire on strikers in Wales. Most working class (including my family) , prior to the war, hated him. She will always be hated. And rightly so.

Score: 1

gwen4me says...11:55pm Tue 7 Jan 14

The establishment loved her. They gave her 99.999 per cent of a state funeral. I worked on the Selby Coalfield, and whatever you may think about miners, they weren't afraid of a day's work.

The establishment loved her. They gave her 99.999 per cent of a state funeral. I worked on the Selby Coalfield, and whatever you may think about miners, they weren't afraid of a day's work.gwen4me

The establishment loved her. They gave her 99.999 per cent of a state funeral. I worked on the Selby Coalfield, and whatever you may think about miners, they weren't afraid of a day's work.

Score: 2

Magicman! says...2:28am Wed 8 Jan 14

Doesn't it strike as odd that all the anti-tory comments have negative votes on them? -- Anyway, Cameron *should* apologise, BUT he won't. The simple fact is Thatchers legacy still lives on through the large swathes of primarily south yorkshire where almost entire villages are unemployed... and Cameron's legacy is to remove all money going to such people by cutting the benefit bill - obviously as there's no sources of employment in such areas, those people will then have no money coming in, will starve, and will die... just as a number of disabled people have done since ATOS came along and told them to get a job as their disability benefits were about to be removed... Cameron can't seem to do much about immigration, so it's almost as though he's trying to cull those in society who need money that could otherwise be used to lubricate the wealthy into supporting the Tories.

Doesn't it strike as odd that all the anti-tory comments have negative votes on them?
--
Anyway, Cameron *should* apologise, BUT he won't. The simple fact is Thatchers legacy still lives on through the large swathes of primarily south yorkshire where almost entire villages are unemployed... and Cameron's legacy is to remove all money going to such people by cutting the benefit bill - obviously as there's no sources of employment in such areas, those people will then have no money coming in, will starve, and will die... just as a number of disabled people have done since ATOS came along and told them to get a job as their disability benefits were about to be removed... Cameron can't seem to do much about immigration, so it's almost as though he's trying to cull those in society who need money that could otherwise be used to lubricate the wealthy into supporting the Tories.Magicman!

Doesn't it strike as odd that all the anti-tory comments have negative votes on them? -- Anyway, Cameron *should* apologise, BUT he won't. The simple fact is Thatchers legacy still lives on through the large swathes of primarily south yorkshire where almost entire villages are unemployed... and Cameron's legacy is to remove all money going to such people by cutting the benefit bill - obviously as there's no sources of employment in such areas, those people will then have no money coming in, will starve, and will die... just as a number of disabled people have done since ATOS came along and told them to get a job as their disability benefits were about to be removed... Cameron can't seem to do much about immigration, so it's almost as though he's trying to cull those in society who need money that could otherwise be used to lubricate the wealthy into supporting the Tories.

Score: 1

Magicman! says...5:36am Thu 9 Jan 14

Well we now know the website voting hacker is a Tory supporter.

Well we now know the website voting hacker is a Tory supporter.Magicman!

Well we now know the website voting hacker is a Tory supporter.

Score: 9

Magicman! says...5:38am Thu 9 Jan 14

At the point of writing this and taking the averages, 100 negative votes have been assigned to any statement against the Tories. Therefore any comment with less that -100 can be considered to have a real-life positive vote (ie, -84 in real terms is actually 16 positive 'likes')

At the point of writing this and taking the averages, 100 negative votes have been assigned to any statement against the Tories. Therefore any comment with less that -100 can be considered to have a real-life positive vote (ie, -84 in real terms is actually 16 positive 'likes')Magicman!

At the point of writing this and taking the averages, 100 negative votes have been assigned to any statement against the Tories. Therefore any comment with less that -100 can be considered to have a real-life positive vote (ie, -84 in real terms is actually 16 positive 'likes')

Score: 9

York Fox says...3:43pm Fri 10 Jan 14

To be honest the 'hacker' is merely redressing the balance of an overly vocal minority spouting off the same old anti-Tory childishness. Good for them!

To be honest the 'hacker' is merely redressing the balance of an overly vocal minority spouting off the same old anti-Tory childishness. Good for them!York Fox

To be honest the 'hacker' is merely redressing the balance of an overly vocal minority spouting off the same old anti-Tory childishness. Good for them!

Score: -45

Pinza-C55 says...12:23am Sat 11 Jan 14

York Fox wrote…

To be honest the 'hacker' is merely redressing the balance of an overly vocal minority spouting off the same old anti-Tory childishness. Good for them!

A vocal group which you don't agree with , therefore you support the silly policy of one person downvoting anti Tory views by means of a "votebote". It is the politics of the school playground. You cannot win an argument therefore you resort to voting down the opposition.

[quote][p][bold]York Fox[/bold] wrote:
To be honest the 'hacker' is merely redressing the balance of an overly vocal minority spouting off the same old anti-Tory childishness. Good for them![/p][/quote]A vocal group which you don't agree with , therefore you support the silly policy of one person downvoting anti Tory views by means of a "votebote". It is the politics of the school playground. You cannot win an argument therefore you resort to voting down the opposition.Pinza-C55

York Fox wrote…

To be honest the 'hacker' is merely redressing the balance of an overly vocal minority spouting off the same old anti-Tory childishness. Good for them!

A vocal group which you don't agree with , therefore you support the silly policy of one person downvoting anti Tory views by means of a "votebote". It is the politics of the school playground. You cannot win an argument therefore you resort to voting down the opposition.

Score: 3

tommytman says...1:19pm Sat 11 Jan 14

if you do not agree with the comments posted your free to put your opinions forward would like to hear what the the tories are doing to make things better for me and my family i must be missing something.

if you do not agree with the comments posted your free to put your opinions forward would like to hear what the the tories are doing to make things better for me and my family i must be missing something.tommytman

if you do not agree with the comments posted your free to put your opinions forward would like to hear what the the tories are doing to make things better for me and my family i must be missing something.

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